


To Keep Our Promise

by itsfoggyy



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Based off Lost Treasures Collection Event, Betrayals of All Kinds, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, No Rampart or Horizon, Reincarnation, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:48:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28053441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsfoggyy/pseuds/itsfoggyy
Summary: Natalie Paquette has dreamt of going to the Solace Ruins ever since her first visit with her father many years ago. Her chance finally happens when an unexpected donor funds an expedition for her and an assortment of odd personalities to journey to the Ruins once more. But upon arrival, Natalie is haunted by vivid dreams and strange occurrences that lead to a revelation about Natalie's connection to the ancient ruins, a beautiful statue encased in marble, and a promise that still needs to be kept.
Relationships: Crypto | Park Tae Joon & Wattson | Natalie Paquette, Mirage | Elliott Witt & Wraith | Renee Blasey, Wattson | Natalie Paquette/Wraith | Renee Blasey
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	To Keep Our Promise

The morning the grant came in was one Natalie would never forget. 

It had started as a usual early morning, the summer sun slowly rising and covering her small apartment in a warm, yellow hue while the Solace City streets became busy with cars and people getting to work. She had just gotten out of the shower and put on a light turtleneck sweater and comfy jeans, thinking she’d be spending the day in the chilled university library working on her doctorate thesis. Just as Natalie had finished pouring a mug of black coffee, she felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket. Knowing the news she had been expecting, she almost burned herself knocking the coffee pot around while trying to answer the call. Trying to stay calm and professional over the phone line, she barely held her excitement back long enough to hang up after the head of the archaeology department informed her that her application for the expedition was approved. 

It was an in-depth excavation of the Ruins of Solace, a place Natalie had dreamt of for years. The ruins once belonged to an ancient, long lost civilization of people whose demise was a hot topic of debate in academia, and even common knowledge to people outside of the academic world. Some people believed it was famine, others war, and a few even aliens. But Natalie Paquette had always believed there were secrets that still lie deep beneath the surface of the long lost city, just waiting to come to the light once more. 

Luc Paquette had been a strong believer in it, as well. He led the last excavation team that got to go to the ancient city nearly fifteen years ago, when Natalie had been able to travel by his side as the lead scientist’s curious and brilliant daughter. The moment they circled the last of those perilous mountain trails and she laid eyes on the broken exterior walls that towered and spiraled in a complex form, walls that once interconnected in maze like patterns across the entire top of a mountain to form homes and banquet halls and bathhouses, she was enraptured in its glory. She remembered gently pressing her fingers against the painted murals that one decorated the town centers, faded and barely recognizable in what they once represented. She hovered behind her father while he and linguists decoded the complicated and beautiful language that was engraved in what would’ve been a palace, made of the finest granite and marble spanning hundreds of miles from where they were traced back to. 

She had been desperate to visit again ever since, but it wasn’t a place you could just go for a quick tour. There was miles of paperwork and approvals needed to step anywhere near the ancient land and for good reason. Fifteen years after the last team got that chance, Natalie would once again return, and it re-ignited the passion she felt she almost lost after her years working through the strict academia system. 

The first meeting of the team was scheduled in exactly one week from the time she got the phone call. The entire time, Natalie had been frantically trying to get her life together before the expedition, which would take place a mere month later. Between finding someone to catsit Nikola and informing her classes she’d be taking a week off for the expedition, the time flew by without notice.

It was finally Friday afternoon and Natalie was already finished grading her freshman classes’ work for the day and patiently waiting in her office for the clock to hit 3:50. She didn’t want to get there too early nor a minute late, so she had already figured out what time was best for her to leave. She hated the thought of arriving late, which would be mortifying, or showing up too early, which meant small talk. And she really did not like small talk. 

Luckily, there was one person who understood her aversion to such meaningless conversation. She heard Dr. Nox sigh, as he began to pack up his own work. Dr. Alexander Nox was one of the most tenured faculty members, having a long history of being one of the most ingenious yet difficult professors to work with. Despite his reputation, he had taken a liking to Natalie the moment she met him through her father at sixteen. He had always reminded her that her genius and intellect was a pure and genuine thing that deserved to thrive and grow, for the sake of scientific endeavor. When her father had passed when she was 18, it was Dr. Nox who watched over her and helped her find her footing back in the university and her work. She was certain she got the approval of the committee to go on the expedition because of her own skill and research, but Dr. Nox’s recommendation and mentorship probably didn’t hurt either. 

“Ready, Ms. Paquette?” Dr. Nox asked, as if she hadn’t been sitting at her desk staring at the clock for the past ten minutes. 

“Yes, Dr. Nox,” She eagerly nodded her head, picking up her bookbag and tugging out the light on her desk. Dr. Nox flicked the overhead light off, pulled the door open for her and they stepped out into the hallway. 

“Do you know any of the colleagues who will be joining us, Dr. Nox?” Natalie asked, trying to keep her pace down the hall calm and steady like Nox’s. 

Dr. Nox hummed for a moment, taking a sip from his to-go coffee mug. “I’ve only met two of the fellow researchers who will be joining us. Unfortunately, I do not have a particularly high opinion of either of them. One is an older professor of the university from the ecology department. A bit too focused on the ethics and morality of science instead of the progress that could come from it. We may have gotten into a debate or two about it before.

“The other is some doctorate student from the electrical engineering department. The purpose of his involvement, I have little understanding for. His intelligence is moderate, at best.”

Natalie winced a little at Dr. Nox’s assessment of the two colleagues they’d be meeting shortly. But Natalie knew that Dr. Nox was particularly brutal in his assessments of others' scholarly abilities. Which made his praise for her all the more appreciated. 

As they arrived at the meeting room, a few floors down from Natalie and Nox’s office, Natalie could hear some loud and excited chattering coming from the room. As she stepped in through the old, wooden doors, she was taken back by the scene in front of her. 

The one who seemed to be making the racket heard from the hallway was a young man not older than Natalie herself. He wore a pair of cut off denim shorts and a tank top, Natalie thought quite inappropriate for a meeting of this caliber. He had a slicked back, green undercut and various piercings across his face. The person he was arguing with was an angry woman who was trying to shove his legs off the table. His bionic legs? That was... something to take note of. The woman looked familiar, with two high buns in her hair and black lipstick that painted her lips. Natalie tried to place where she’d seen her, but couldn’t put her finger on it. 

“Silva I swear on my father’s kneecaps,” she gritted through her teeth, “You will remove your legs from the table, or I will remove your legs from your body.”

“Hah! Like that scares me, chica!” He laughed, a devilish smirk widening across his thin face, “I know you wouldn’t mind your old man losing his knees!”

“I PUT THOSE DAMN THINGS ON YOU AND I”M TAKE THEM OFF OF YOU TOO!”

Well, this did not seem like the meeting of a once-in-a-lifetime academic expedition.

“Dr. Nox, are you sure this was the right location?” Natalie whispered to the professor behind her. 

“I’m afraid it is,” Dr. Nox sounded even more tired from when they left the office. 

“Ah! Bruddah!” A loud booming voice sounded out from behind them, making Natalie pull back from the door a little. She wishes she’d worn one of her sound-reducing hats today.

The large, cheerful man who stepped into the room was someone who was easily recognizable to Natalie. Dr. Gibraltar of the ecology department was well known for being an incredibly helpful and gentle professor, and she had taken a few of his classes over the years she’s spent at the university. 

“Professor Gibraltar,” Dr. Nox nodded to him, giving him an icy look. 

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Professor!” Natalie interjected, giving him a big smile that he was eager to give back, “I hope you and Nik are well?”

“Please, Natalie, just call me Gibraltar outta the classroom,” he laughed, “Too much of mouth full. And thanks for asking, Nik and I are well.”

Natalie giggled, “I’m glad to hear!”

She took another look around the room, and noticed a figure in the far back by the window, dressed in a familiar trench coat and glasses. 

“Tae joon?” Natalie asked, startling the man in the corner. His face noticeably softened seeing her. 

“Natalie?” He smiled, setting aside his small, geometric device that he had been working on. Natalie walked over to him and leaned against the wide, oak window ledge that was next to him.

“You made it into the excavation too?” She whispered with excitement, “Isn’t this so wonderful!”

“Yes, very actually,” Taejoon smiled, seeming happy with her company, “Though it’s a not a surprise that you were invited. After all, we’d be useless without your invention.”

Natalie felt herself heat up at his praise. She still wasn’t used to such open and kind remarks about her work. It was almost overwhelming at times. 

The two of them had been undergrads together, long nights of studying and cramming together, as all the engineering students did. Taejoon went down the computer engineering route while Natalie went with electrical engineering and archeology, and they no longer talked as much. They grabbed a coffee or hung out on the occasion they were both free, but it had been months since then. 

“It is nice to see a familiar face,” Taejoon agreed, surveying the large crowd of people, “Especially with such interesting personalities. Who the hell chose this group?”

Natalie hummed in agreement, surveying the spectacle in the room. They both got their answer the next moment when an imposing figure entered the door. 

A loud rap on the wooden floor silenced the room. A tall woman, dressed in a professional light brown blazer and pant suit set stood with an air of confidence and control at the door. Her laced thigh high boots tapped against the floor and her two matching braids swung slowly as she walked confidently to the center of the room. 

“Alright everyone! Now that I’m here, let’s get into this, shall we?”

Everyone settled down, seeming to be surprised and a bit nervous with this woman’s entrance. Natalie had never seen her on campus, and she wasn’t expecting the university to hire someone outside of the department for such an important expedition. Natalie and Taejoon walked to the U-shaped table in the center of the room and sat down together with the others, Dr. Nox seating himself next to Natalie’s left side. 

The room’s controlled air broke a little when another figure came through the doors, footsteps heavy. Natalie was surprised to see what seemed like a modded MRVN. 

The MRVN was clearly not a usual model, given that it had personality in it’s walk and multiple modifications made to its body, Natalie noted. It was carrying some papers and boxes, setting them onto the table in front of Loba before giving a wave to the rest of the room that was peering back at it with curiosity. Loba glared intensely at the robot’s disturbance. 

“Hello, friends!” The MRVN’s voice chirped through it’s ICOM device, “My name is Pathfinder, I’m a research assistance bot, made to aid you in your exploration of-”

“Enough, robot,” Loba groaned, giving it a swipe of the hand so that Pathfinder would back up and quiet down, “Let’s get down to business.”

“My name is Loba Andrade,” she says, the only one who doesn’t sit at the round table, standing above them all with her arms rested on the silver cane in front of her, “I will be the expedition lead into the Solace Ruins, given my experience with various other anthropological expeditions and explorations. All of you, during the next week, are to report to me directly with any findings or reports. This information we will be gathering at the ruins is highly sought after, and it is important that all discoveries remain confidential before the official published findings.”

“Ms. Andrade, is it?” Dr. Gibraltar speaks up, “Not to be imposing here, but I’m curious about your previous expeditions. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard or seen your name before in any of our research journals.”

“I prefer a life of anonymity,” Loba said simply, “I’ve worked mostly in the private sector, and I was put in charge not by the university but by the man who is paying the expenses of this expedition. Will that be an issue for you, Dr. Gibraltar?”

Natalie thought he looked conflicted, but the doctor simply shook his head and remained silent. 

“Good,” Loba smiled, but Natalie did not like how the smile didn’t reach her eyes, “Now, we’ll make some quick introductions before getting into the grit of this meeting. Mr. Silva, how about you go first?”

She looks expectantly to her left, where the loud guy in shorts is practically bouncing in his seat. 

“My turn? Sweet,” He says, before standing up on his chair and putting his hands up in rock signs, “The name is Octavio Silva, but you’ll all be calling me Octane. I’m here for the adventure, baby!”

Loba’s eyebrow raised slightly, “And why are you actually here, Octane?”

Octane seemed to be a bit peeved by her interruption, his hands folding at his waist. “Silva Corporation funded it, duh! But enough about my boring dad and his boring company, I’m the one representing here! The Octrain, baby!”

Natalie steals a look at Taejoon, who looks exasperated. Loba looks around the confused stares, and shrugs. 

The familiar looking girl next to him dragged him back down to his seat, giving him a stern look to shut him up before turning to everyone else at the table. “My name’s Ajay Che, currently a third year student at the Solace Institute of Medicine. I’ll be there in case of any first aid assistance or medical emergency.” 

Ajay Che. Of course. She was also an engineering student but a few years ahead of Natalie and Taejoon. She majored in bioengineering, and was a TA for a couple of classes. She smiled at everyone at the table, giving a nod to her and Taejoon from across the way. It made Natalie happy seeing there were a few younger people on the trip. 

Gibraltar gave a small wave to the table as he stood up, “Hello, Gibraltar here. Environment and Wildlife expert, here to help with any heavy lifting, excavation, and making sure everyone stays safe, including the wildlife out there. The mountains aren’t easy to navigate, and we got some really sensitive species out there. Glad to be along for the ride, bruddahs.”

Dr. Nox laughed under his breath at that, which if Gibraltar heard, he didn’t show it. 

Taejoon sighed, realizing it was his turn. “Taejoon Park, technology and civil engineering. Excavation team.” 

Natalie didn’t realize he’d be so short, now everyone staring at her. 

“Oh, um, hello,” Natalie nodded her head and smiled at everyone, “I’m a part of the electrical engineering department here, doctorate student. The technology we’ll be using to explore the ruins was originally created by my Papa. I was able to reimage it to help with underground searches and the detection of previous existing structures. We believe there is an underground system of tunnels and passages that lead to rooms that hold the secrets of the ruins people have been looking for since, well, for centuries!”

Loba leaned into the table, hands under her chin with a smirk of interest on her red lips. “What kind of secrets?”

“Well, it’s believed that’s where they kept their leaders’ tombs, their scrolls that could explain how to understand their ancient language, and anything of value they’d want to keep from outsiders.”

“Like treasure?” Octane piped up, from his seat. 

Natalie noticed everyone seemed to lean in a little more at that. “Hm, well, yes, I guess if you wanted to call it that. Their gold, jewels, fine artifacts. It’s likely they are buried within the tunnel system. We just have to find the right path, and the breadth of knowledge would be there.”

Murmurs of excitement filled the table, and Natalie tried to hide the giddy feeling in her stomach. 

“Excellent,” Loba purred, looking quite pleased, “And you?”

“Dr. Alexander Nox, chemist. I’ll be of aid in any excavation process or getting through the barriers that may have developed over the centuries,” Dr. Nox explained, sounding quite bored with the discussion. 

“Well then,” Loba clapped her hands together, “Looks like we have everyone we need. We will set off tomorrow morning at the Solace Airport, they will be flying us out past King’s Canyon, where the ruins are built into the mountain side. The camp will be at the base of the mountain, and it’ll be a six hour hike up everyday. So pack lightly, please. We’ll go over a few more things here, and then meet in the morning.”

After going over some of the requirements for the expedition, they were dismissed, people leaving as quickly as they arrived. Dr. Nox chose to stay for the remainder of the evening to finish work on some of his experiments before having to turn them over to his associates for the next few weeks, leaving Natalie to walk home alone. She waved goodbye to Taejoon as he walked off down the street towards a different bus stop. 

As she waited at her bus stop, she flipped through the worn pages of the book she kept in her shoulder bag that had been at her side since her father gave it to her in middle school. 

_ The ancient ruins of Solace are an architectural mystery. The spiralling towers and unique terraforming was not just rare for the time. Similar systems of agricultural development and architecture would not appear for another three hundred years, showing that the ancient society was years ahead of its time. How did such an ancient society develop such advanced techniques, and then have them disappear for centuries after? _

Natalie had read the same paragraph a million times. She could still see a fingerprint mark on the corner of the page when she was eating some greasy food one evening in high school. The ruins were a mystery that had evaded her and her father all their life. As the train came rushing up to the platform, the wind blowing chill against her face, Natalie felt like the answers were finally at her fingertips. She just had to reach a little bit further. 

_ When the warriors sparred in the front grounds, it changed the charge of the castle. The usually peaceful quiet that settled over the stone structure became brimming with power, like water splashing against her face every time she heard the cheers and yells of excitement.  _

_ She sighed as she looked down at the plans she was working on for the plaza, meant to utilize the new found power they had harnessed. It was coming along slower than she wanted, and she should try to focus up so she could get these plans to the mechanic. Another loud cheer from the crowd that had formed outside the castle’s walls beckoned her away from her work though, setting her inked feather back into the pot. She sighed, feeling her bones creak and crack from sitting too long at her desk. She shuffled down the stairs, nodding politely to the servants who greeted her with smiles. _

_ As she entered onto the balcony, she was surprised to see more people than usual. The other nobility had gathered around the yard, whispering and watching expectantly.  _

_ At the end of the balcony, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet watching the spectacle, was a young man close to her age, looking perturbed.  _

_ “Hello Octavius,” she greeted, coming up to take a spot next to him. He quickly turned his head and smiled brightly.  _

_ “Mornin’, princess,” he said, quickly turning his eyes back to the warriors in the field below, “You-know-who is on a roll down there! Man, what I’d give to be there too!” _

_ She looked back to the field, a circle of people surrounding two that were having it out, though it looked like the battle was coming to an end quickly. One of them, a man with a grey stripe in his hair and much older than her, was recovering from a particularly hard blow to the chest, wobbling on his feet as he tried to stabilize himself.  _

_ She could feel the adrenaline in the air, the rush of the battle overcoming her as she leaned a bit further over the railing to get a better look. When she watched the soldiers fight, she could feel a pull, like a thick rope around her waist that tugged her closer. Sometimes she’d fantasize about being one of the brazen fighters, in the plated armour and heavy sword in hand.  _

_ And then she saw her.  _

_ The warrior moved so fast you couldn’t make out her distinct features. Only the swish of the leather flaps of her skirt and the glint of her chestplate were seen, the swish of black hair was the indicator of the fighter’s identity. She threw another solid punch into the man’s chest, before flashing behind him and kicking his knees in. The man was grounded as she elbowed the center of his neck, knocking him flat to the grassy field. Her sword in hand, she pressed the blade into the side of his neck until the man begrudgingly tapped out.  _

_ The other fighters around them cheered and beat their shields with fists. The nobility around her clapped, laughed with glee, and yelled out cheers as well.  _

_ The woman’s black hair looked limp with sweat, as she walked out of the center of the field, leaving the others to help up her fallen opponent. She wiped some sweat from her brow and looked up towards where the nobles sat, looking through the faces for something. Someone.  _

_ “I gotta say, princess,” Octavius sighed, “You sure know how to pick them.” _

_ She wondered what that meant for a moment, but then the woman’s grey eyes landed on her, and the soft smile that crossed her lips stole her attention away from whatever Octavius was talking about.  _

_ The woman looked like she was about to walk over to her, when a firm hand grabbed her shoulder. She turned around to look at who grabbed her and her smile disappeared, replaced by a look of agitation. _

_ The princess took in the man’s appearance. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Slender, muscled frame. He had grabbed at the warrior, but when the princess’ eyes met him, he was looking at her. His mouth was twisted into a smile that made her blood run cold. She became suddenly overwhelmed, like any moment she could break out into tears.  _

_ She also wanted to scream at the warrior to get away. Run from him. The warrior only seemed annoyed still, looking at the man. But his eyes were still on her. Staring wordlessly even though she swore she could hear his manic, terrorizing laugh. She couldn’t speak though. She said nothing as she felt a darkness surround her, unable to tear herself away from those horrifying blue eyes.  _

Natalie felt her tears and her body’s trembling before she was even fully awake. She opened her eyes expecting to see those cold, blue ones staring at her again. Instead, it was a familiar bedroom, one of the few places in the old apartment that wasn’t cluttered with too many books and academic papers. 

She hesitantly looked over to the bedside table. It was only just past five, it was still dark in her small apartment, no light pouring in from the windows yet.

She sighed, getting her bearings, before pushing herself up and letting her feet hit the cold, wood flooring. The sensation comforted her. The cold, wooden floors and the crickets singing outside her window. This was reality. Not whatever… that was.

Her dreams weren’t always like those ones, they happened quite rarely. But every now and then she had dreams that felt so real, almost too real. She could feel the cold of the polished marble floors. She could smell grassy hills and the odd scent of the ink she had used on the parchment. The people in them were so familiar she swore she could almost remember meeting them. Like it was a memory trapped far away in her mind, that she couldn’t grasp onto. 

Dreams were like that though, she just insisted. They could be so vivid you couldn’t tell the difference from reality. And they were just the mental garbage that was piled in the back of your mind before you fell asleep. She knew the science behind them. She just wished they wouldn’t be so jarring. 

She looked over to where her luggage was packed up and ready to go. It was light packing, only the minimum of supplies needed to get through the next week. The rest, the equipment, tools, and research materials, would be transported there with the help of Loba’s drop ship. She still had three hours before they were supposed to meet at the airport, but the possibility of sleep just wasn’t possible anymore. So she got up, pushing her fears back deep into her mind.

Scary dreams or not, she had a plane to catch. 

She was the first one there at 6:45 AM, deciding to get through security early and grab a bit of coffee to settle her nerves. Around 7:30, she sees a guy in a white and green jacket walking up to her. It takes her a moment, without his glasses, and neatly combed hair, to recognize Taejoon, but the moment she does she gives him a warm smile. 

“Taejoon! You look so different!” She stared at him with wonder. His hair was cut differently, in an asymmetrical style with long bangs. Without his glasses, he seemed much younger. It was a startling difference to the tight lipped, plainly dressed man she knew for so much time. 

He laughed a little at Natalie’s surprise, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. “It’s going to be a long week, Natalie. I don’t want to dress for the office in the jungle.” 

Natalie laughed, feeling the tension from her nightmare slowly dissipating with Taejoon’s presence. “That’s true! That would be so silly!”

Soon, the others joined them by their gate. Gibraltar and Dr. Nox showed up at a similar time, just before the 8 AM meet up time. Loba arrived with Pathfinder in tow at 8:10, fashionably late and fashionably dressed in a similarly matching pant suit set with heeled boots. While she reprimanded Pathfinder for mishandling her baggage, Natalie noticed Ajay and Octane sneaking in behind everyone, Ajay looking clearly annoyed at the boy with her. 

They were all there. Natalie watched everyone as they slowly loaded onto Loba’s private drop ship, the Solace sun spilling over the horizon. Natalie took one last deep breath of the Solace City air and walked up the ship’s stairs.

Thankfully, the dropship ride didn’t last long. With Octane literally bouncing off the walls of the drop ship, Dr. Nox getting into a spat with Loba when he tried to inspect Pathfinder, and Ajay yelling at everyone to calm down, Natalie was feeling pretty… overwhelmed. There was just too much noise inside the ship, leaving an irritating ringing in her ears she couldn’t make go away. Taejoon was kind enough to lend her some noise cancelling headphones when he noticed her distress, but she was still left with the feeling of an itch under her skin that she despised. 

Upon landing, the humid heat hit her as she exited the dropship. She had dressed appropriately for the ascending hike, hiking pants and high boots, a plain button up with a vest filled with necessities for the ascent. She also wore a brimmed hat and head covering to protect herself from the bugs. 

“It’s a two hour ascent to our encampment, so don’t twiddle your thumbs, grab your things, and let’s move!” Loba yelled out, Making her way towards the stone cobbled path that marked their new beginning. 

Natalie took in the sights around her for a moment while people grabbed their items off the dropship. They had landed in a large clearing right before the dense rainforest, a slow climbing mountainous range in front of them. Natalie had grown up in Kings Canyon when her father was still alive and knew that from here, the closest town was days away, even by vehicle. Near the top of the mountains, in the far, far distance, Natalie could make out stone structures that peaked out above the treetops. 

The Ruins.

“You ready, kid?” Gibraltar’s loud voice startled her out of her admiration, walking up from behind her. 

“As I’ll ever be!” Natalie smiled back at her professor who just laughed.

“That’s the spirit! Aye, you need something on the trail, just ask Gibraltar or Che! We got extra water and medical supplies, so don’t hesitate!” He instructs, heading off to the path with Ajay close in front. She waits for Gibraltar to catch up to her, giving Natalie a small smile before they both start down the path. Octane suddenly dashed past her, starting to run past Gibraltar and Ajay, who yelled at him to slow down. 

Natalie looked back at the dropship, where the last two of her colleagues were making their way with their bags in tow. She noticed the dropship closing and starting up again. 

“The pilot is leaving?” She asked. 

“Indeed, they will be back for us in a week’s time,” Dr. Nox says, watching with her as the dropship flourished back to life and began to slowly start hovering upward, “Until that time, we are on our own here.”

The realization they were without contact to the outside world for a whole week in a jungle, at one of the world’s most notoriously dangerous and interesting ruins, sent a chill down her spine. Not one of fear, but of anticipation. This was a real and true adventure.

“We should get going,” Taejoon said, pulling out his drone to hover above the path, “It’s only two hours but it’ll start getting dark in an hour and a half.” 

“I’m well aware,” Dr. Nox sneered, pushing past the younger man. 

Taejoon glared at Dr. Nox’s back, and Natalie put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “He’s just a very focused, dedicated man, Taejoon! I promise, he means no ill-intent!”

Taejoon was still glaring at Dr. Nox as he walked ahead of them. “If you say so, Natalie.”

Together, they walked forward into the beckoning forest.

An hour into their ascent, a setback occurs. Natalie was enthusiastically telling stories of the ancient ruins to Loba, who had seemed curious to know more about the history behind the ruins. Natalie found it a bit odd that the expedition leader didn’t seem to know as much about the ruins, but she jumped at the chance to talk about one of her greatest joys. While she was talking about the different kinds of public structures that were built across the forgotten city, Gibraltar shouted out for everyone to stop. 

Loba and Natalie turned around to see everyone as confused as they were. Gibraltar was standing still, looking around like he had heard something. The next moment, they all felt it. 

A jolt in the earth made Natalie stumble but she managed to hold her ground. Everyone else was also jolted around. 

“Earthquake?” Loba asked, exasperated.

“No, they don’t happen in this area!” Gibraltar shouted back, to be quickly muffled out by an avalanche of rock that came down directly behind their group. Dust and deprease filled the air, making everyone have a panicked cough attack.

As the dust settled, Natalie heard Ajay call out, “Is everyone alright?”

“Whoa!” Octane yelled out, “That was awesome! Can we make that happen again?”

“Shut it you idiot!” Ajay yelled back at him, “We don’t know if we could cause another one of those to happen and the next one we might not be so lucky!”

“Ah, fine, fine! Calm down, Che!” Octane whined back. 

Natalie risked opening her eyes, and as the dust settled, she felt relieved that everyone was visibly present and seemed fine, though covered in a heavy layer of dirt. 

“Rock avalanches aren’t common in this area either, though,” Natalie pointed out. That much she was sure of. The mountain, while old, was usually quite steady and made of volcanic rock at it’s base, meaning it didn’t see frequent avalanches like that. 

A loud coughing, louder than any of her companions, broke through the air. When Natalie realized it wasn’t any of them coughing, she turned to Dr. Nox. 

He had his hand on his waist where a gun holster sat. Natalie knew about looters and burglars who would attempt to steal from the ruins, but she didn’t imagine they’d actually run into one. 

A body stumbled out from a patch of bushes a few meters in front of them, causing both Loba and Dr. Nox to pull guns from their waists. Everyone else also stepped forward, and Natalie felt an arm on her shoulder.

Taejoon moved around her, positioning himself slightly between her and the newcomer. Natalie felt a prick of indignation, and grabbed him also by the cuff of his jacket back so that he wasn’t in front of her. He looked surprised at first, but then he gave a small apologetic smile, and at least had enough sense to look a bit embarrassed.

Natalie knew she was the youngest here, but she wasn’t going to let that mean that other people were going to be throwing themselves in front of her. She could handle things on her own. 

“Whoa, oh boy, that was crazy,” The strange man coughed and sputtered. As Natalie looked closer at him, she realized he was peculiarly dressed. His beard was neatly trimmed and his hair carefully maintained into wide curls that fell into his face. But his dress looked, just, odd? Outdated? He wore a white tunic faded yellow and a brown leather vest with various pins and attachments. His baggy brown pants and black boots made him look like something out of a renaissance faire. 

“Stop where you are!” Loba growled, cocking her gun and moving closer into his space. 

The man finally looks at them and notices the guns getting pointed at him. He nervously laughs and holds his hands up in defense. 

“Now, now! No need for that!” He chuckles, “Newbies in the area? Must be, never seen any of you here before!” 

“Where’d you come from?” Dr. Nox asks with a sneer in his voice, “Only certified researchers and excavators are allowed up here. And you are clearly neither.”

The man pouted at that, thick brows coming down to form a glare that didn’t threaten much. 

“Hey! I mean, you’re right. But that didn’t sound very nice what you’re implying,” he groaned. 

Loba tisked her tongue, and in a quick flash of action she butted the end of her P2020 into the guy’s head, bringing him to his knees. His demeanor quickly changed, the first bit of actual worry in his eyes behind his now forced smile. 

“You know I prefer that kinda pain only if you’re taking me to bed after,” he chuckled, eyes flicking between Loba’s gun and her face. 

She smirked, cocking the gun between his eyebrows. “Answer the question, sweetheart.” 

He nodded his head quickly, “I’m an escort for groups through these areas. Family’s been around these parts a long, long time. Common mistake, happens all the time really. “

He gulped back and looked over at the rest of their crew, with an embarrassed smile. “I got a lot of names, but you can call me Elliott.”

“A guide?” Loba asked incredulously, “Seriously? You don’t take us for fools, do you?”  
“No, no!” Elliott shook his head frantically and pulled out a small leather wallet from his pocket. When it flicked open, you could see the Solace issued identification card in the clear slot. 

Sure enough, Elliott Witt, as his ID proclaimed upon further inspection, was a resident of King’s Canyon and seemed to have access to the ruins and other limited areas. Since his family had been here for centuries and had seen over many groups of explorers, they protected the ruins from thieves and bandits. 

“It’s just me now, my lovely mother passed away awhile back, and it’s been just me ever since,” Elliott explained once Loba had let him off the ground and guns went back into holsters. Loba considered this, looking him up and down. 

Natalie wasn’t sure if it was her place to ask anything, as it had only been Loba and Dr. Nox doing the questioning, but she had been feeling the curiosity bubbling up inside her and just to ask one question. 

“You know the ruins well?” She asked, the others in the group looking at her, a little surprised she spoke up. 

Elliott noticed her for the first time, and his smile dropped for a moment. He looked shocked and sputtered a little before managing an answer. 

“I mean, yeah, yes,” he said, his voice suddenly more serious and collected than he previously seemed, “I know the place like the front of my hand.”

Ajay lifted a cocky eyebrow, obviously not impressed with the guy. “It’s back of the hand, chile.” 

But Elliott didn’t pay much attention, eyes still glued to Natalie. It began to make her a little uncomfortable before he finally tore his gaze away and went back to smiling at Loba with that same previous cockiness. 

“Listen, beautiful,” Elliott cooed, lifting his hands up in surrender, “Anything you need, I got you! I’ll show you the best views and greatest buildings left standing-”

“No thank you,” Loba threw the wallet back at him, Elliott just barely catching it, “We are well prepared enough, and quite frankly, I’m not very interested in the views. We are here for much more substantial research.”

Elliott held his hands up again and shrugged. “Totally fine! But hey, I’ll be around if you need anything, or if you want to do a dinner night or something. I got some great moonshine. The best stuff! Don’t be afraid to stop by and-”

“We won’t be,” Loba said with finality, walking past him with her braids flipping with attitude behind her. Loba’s movement signalled for everyone else to move as well, and they were finally off again, leaving Elliott behind them. 

Natalie looked back one last time at Elliott, who was looking back at her. When he caught her eye he smiled big again and waved, and Natalie couldn’t help but give a small smile back before catching up with Dr. Nox. 

He didn’t seem so bad. 

Elliott watched the large group ascend up each of the 8,396 steps, onwards to the place he did in fact know better than anyone else still alive on Solace. It had been such a long time since a group came, he wasn’t expecting to see so many for the first group back after the last expedition. 

Okay, maybe that one got a little out of hand he’ll admit. Poor guys sprinted down from the ancient city when he was done with them, Elliott smirks a little remembering the one guy who fell over a bunch of steps and splinted his ankle, crying like a child. 

Elliott couldn’t take his eyes off the blonde girl though. When his eyes landed on her, that look of curiosity and kindness in her eyes as she asked him about the ruins, he felt something he hadn’t in the longest time when seeing another person. 

Familiarity. 

It could be his head playing tricks on him. It seemed to do that more and more as the years passed on. But deep down, seeing her had stirred something in his chest too familiar to be fake. 

But it couldn’t be. Right? 

He walked back down the hill towards his house, thinking to himself he’d have to watch this group carefully. If she was who he thought she was, he had to do whatever he could to make sure she wouldn’t get caught up in the antics that would occur in the following weeks.

He owed her a lot more, he bitterly thought, but it was a start. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Twitter at @itsfoggyy, and as always kudos and comments are so very, very appreciated!


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